Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Headaches

Does anyone else suffer from chronic headaches? I don't know if it's just my own alergies or if it is related to AS. I'd be interested to know if others with AS suffer from frequent headaches. Mine seem to be sinus related, so I've always assumed that it was just alergies. However, it seems that they are more frequent now. Just wondering if there might be some sort of link.

Thanks
Tommy

I have chronic tension-type headaches that affect around my eyes and temples mainly. I believe they are a result of bruxism, which is clenching the teeth at night due to stress or other reasons. I wake up with a headache usually.
I don't think it is AS related because the rest of my body feels fine, although I am not entirely sure. I've been checked out by a neurologist and he advised me to relax and not get tense, all else being fine. Anyone else with headaches?

well, I have had migraines since I was a teen, thought they were infrequen. when my as started up, i started having migraines much more frequently, and was medicated with a beta blocker to help, as going to the hospital for imuran injections was time consuming and generally annoying. the good news is, since I've been on remicade, 7 months now, i haven't had a migraine. it's astonishing.

fishy

Hi, I'd like to know what your migraines felt like because they say there's a difference between migraines and tension headaches. Mine feel like my head is being squeezed at the sides, but I can still function, no nausea though. How long did they last when you got one? Thanks.

hiya,

you can certainly get headaches from AS, the nerves from the upper neck go up the head and into the face if it gets really bad....the nerves get irritatted from the inflammtion in the soft tissue and joints (facets). Waking up in the morning with a headaches would get me suspicious about an AS problem....or when stationary esp in front of the computer.If you are on anti-inflammatory or immuno suppressants and your headaches go away my feeling would be that again AS or your immune system is behind them.

Another cause of headaches is the eye problems you commonly get with AS dry eye or other 'eye itis condition.

The nerves in the neck go something like this: A neuro showed me how to check for them,

C3-4 lessor occiptal nerve goes up the side/rear of the neck, about an inck off the centre line of the back of the spine right on the junction of the base of the skull top of the spine. Nerves go up behind the ear and then over towards the face....often get a very tendor spot on the base of the head/neck about an inch from dead centre of the back of the neck at the join line of the nack and head. Occipult?

Greater occiptal nerve is level up the spine C2-C3, crosses the spine/head junction much closer to the rear centre of the spine. The nerves go vertically up and then along the sides of the top of the head, as opposed to face side to above the temple and then inwards towards the inside of the eye top socket nose area......You often get a tender spot on the junction of the head/spine a bit just to the sides of the spine.

If these condition gets chronic you can get the irritation going into the facial nerves and a all over nerve storm....a very unpleasent condition and one that is difficulit manage.....so best to keep on top of it early. Alot of Dr.s explain this stuff as tight muscles tension headaches stress etc....

There are other causes of headaches which can be releated such as compression of the spinal cord or the nerves due to narrowing of the spine pathways,

I hope this helps

Davo

Definitely a headache and migraine sufferer. Sometimes due to muscles in my back/neck knotting up too much, sometimes due to clenching teeth subconciously a lot, sometimes from damage to my TMJ on the right side from the accident I was in. The really weird/bad migraines I get I think are genetic. My dad got them really bad starting in his 30's. I have hardly had any problems for months now that I started taking a low dose of an older antidepressant called Nortryptyline. No side effects noticed, just feel so much better.

Hi
I get tension headaches and have done for years. It feels like someone is crushing my head in a vice. I have often wondered if they were AS related as it started 9 years ago when my AS started to flare big style. I have seen drs about it and they claim its somethin to do with the blood vessels constricting. So yes i am curious to know too if it could actually b AS related.
take care
heather

Hi,
Yes I get bad headaches from AS. Some of them get really bad when my my upper neck is inflamed. If my NSAID's don't help, I use the heating pad, or have a massage, or try to sleep it off until it's gone. Not all my headaches are from AS though, but more than half of them are. The type I get feels like it's putting pressure on the back of my head, along with the squeezing feeling on the sides.

Take care,
James.

Yes, I get headaches all the time. Never really thought that it could be related to AS. But I think you are on to something.

Debora

Yes I get head aches all the time. But they seem to have started with all my problems with my eyes. I've been struggling with iritis/pressure/chataracts and I think that it is related to that. Good luck!!